Thursday, January 31, 2008

John Deere Part Two

Location:
This is the second John Deere toy our UFO Team found in Area 51. While we feel fortunate to find sucha treasure, we are unfortunate in that we do not know very much about the history of the item. Maybe our readers would care to speculate?

Description:
John Deere green with no yellow highlights. No wheels. The front of the device appears to be used to harvest corn as it is pointed in a manner to go between corn rows. Going toward the rear of each side is a large channel or belt that dumps in a hopper-like area in the rear. There is another channel running from the rear to the front and is for unknown uses. There are holes in teh rear that appear to be for a wheel chassis or some sort of connection to another device.

Unique Marks:
Both left and right sides bear "John Deere" in yellow on each chute

History:
Unknown.

Photos:


















References:
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.

Monday, January 28, 2008

John Deere Part One

Location:
Stuffed away in a dark corner of Area 51, the UFO Team found a dusty bin that turned out to be a mini-treasure chest. Of the five items inside, only one lacked any luster, a hand-welded stool with three legs. The other items include three toys that we will cover this week. The fourth item will make a premier next week (and it's a doozy). Starting this week of toys is the first of two John Deere toys. While relatives of the UFO Team are (or were) farmers, we still do not know the true nature of these toys.

Description:
John Deere green in color with yellow accents. Two wheels, one driven by a small chain. There is a combine -like implement in the front that is yellow. The hubs of the wheels are yellow. The top of the toy is like a turtle shell with a chute leading from the front to the back. Their appears to be a bin on the right hand side that is fed by a hopper pipe or chute.

Unique Marks:
Right side - On the bin - "John Deere" in yellow

Left side - Near the rear - "John Deere" in yellow

Rear - "John Deere" in yellow

Underside - Near the combine at the front - "Made in U. S. A." factory stamp

History:
Likely enjoyed by many children, this John Deere toy shows a lot of wear but also a lot of care.

Photos:




























References:
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.

Friday, January 25, 2008

Glasses

Location:
When the UFO Team enters Area 51, there is a lot of speculation about what will be discovered during the visit. We have seen hints of many great things to come but it is always the little items that impress us. On our recent visit, it was one of these little things that brought back a lot memories. Amazing what a little bit of ground glass and bent metal can do.

Description:
Pair 1 - The first pair of glasses are the usual "horn-rimmed" style that was, is, and will be popular. There are labels on either side made by the manufacturer. On each "horn" there is a symbol of sorts that bears a resemblance to nothing in our database. The top portion of the frame is black while the remainder of the lenses sit in a silver metal frame. The earpieces are black with a metallic skeleton that shows through on the inside.

Pair 2 - The second pair of glasses are of the "round frame" style. Each lens is a perfect circle held by a frame that is reddish in color. The remainder of the frame is gold or brass. The ear pieces are bent and have the typical near-circle curve to hold them in place.

Unique Marks:
Pair 1 - Right Earpiece - "Foremost 5 1/2 U. S. A."

Pair 1 - Left Earpiece - "4 1/4 - 5 3/4"

History:
The first pair of glasses was owned and worn by Claud Richard. As seen here, he wore them for some time.





The second apir of glasses is believed to have been owned and worn by Claud's father, benjamin Richard however this has not been confirmed.

Photos:












References:
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Shaving Brush

Location:
Alongside the Razor UFOs our Team found in Area 51, they found this well-used shaving brush. While short in stature, this little brush has eased the pain of shaving for many men.

Description:
The bristles are short and of unknown origin. The handle is greenish with white and yellow marbling. The end cap of the handle is red. There appears to be a whitish residue on the handle that could be shaving cream.

Unique Marks:
None.

History:
Who owned this or used it is unknown at this time.

Photos:






References:
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.

Monday, January 21, 2008

Razors

Location:
Another recent search of the Area 51 storage areas, led to the discovery of these strange devices. While they are both similar in size and shape, there are clear differences between them. Once the UFO Team discovered their true nature, the men on the team grabbed at their faces in wonder while the women shook their heads and covered their legs protectively.

Description:
Razor 1 has a hexagonal handle with a flat shaving head. The shaving head has a grill on one side. There is a greenish patina to the entire razor while some of the underlying brassy color shows on the shaving head. The razor appears to be designed for use with a single bladed razor or at least one blade appears to be exposed at a time. The handle has small notches cut into the edges to aid in grip while the end has smooth indentations for decoration.

Razor 2 has a round handle with a curved shaving head. The shaving head has a tooth-like grill on both sides. The razor is brass in color with a greenish patina that gradually grows toward the shaving head. The handle has a slightly knobby end and has a large area that is grooved for improved grip. The shaving head appears to be designed for a double edged blade that is flat. The curved end appears to be for design and ease of use, not to bend the blade. The shaving head end is also silver in color, likely from heavy use.

Both show signs of wear and use.

Unique Marks:
Neither piece had any distinctive markings.

History:
These razors have surely shaved countless hairs from the face of a man. Who owned them or used them is unknown at this time.

Photos:








References:
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.

Friday, January 18, 2008

The Richard-Phillips Wedding

Location:
While this particular UFO is newer than most we have covered in the past, it does bear some importance; primarily that it is in such good shape and the wealth of historical information that it contains. With that in mind, the UFO Team was pleased to find this mini-treasure in Area 51.

Description:
Larger than normal piece of light-weight paper. Contains a small line in the bottom left from the printing company.

Unique Marks:
Bottom Left - "607 - Marriage License - K-B Printing Company - Omaha"

Reverse, Bottom Right* - "607 - Marriage License - K-B Printing Company - Omaha"

* The reverse of this document is designed to be folded into quarters. This would make the bottom right turn into the Front with the printing at the bottom left.

History:


Claud and Bertha were both from the central Nebraska area. The met while Claud was working on the Carver Ranch in the Valentine area of Cherry County. They would go on to marry and have four sons. While they would eventually divorce, they stayed in the same general area of central Nebraska. Bertha would remarry and divorce again while Claud would remarry twice and become a widower twice before passing away.

Photos:


























References:
- Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.